You can cancel a friend request on Facebook in seconds, and the other person won't get a notification that you did

To cancel a friend request you sent, go to that person's profile, look for the button that says "Cancel Request" (it replaces the "Add Friend" button once you've sent a request), and click it. The request disappears from their notifications when ready. Facebook does not send them a message saying you cancelled it — they'll only know if they check your profile and notice the "Add Friend" button is back.

You can cancel a request at any time, whether it's been sitting there for five minutes or five months. There's no penalty for cancelling, and you can send a new request to the same person later if you change your mind.

Key Takeaways

  • Open the profile of the person whose friend request you want to cancel, and click the "Cancel Request" button.
  • The other person will not receive a notification that you cancelled the request.
  • You can cancel a request at any point, even months after you sent it.
  • Cancelling a request does not prevent you from sending a new one later.
  • If you cannot find the "Cancel Request" button, refresh the page or check that you are logged into the correct account.

Where to find the cancel button on desktop

On a computer, visit the person's Facebook profile by searching for their name or clicking their profile from a mutual friend's page. Once you're on their profile, look at the top right area where the friend request buttons appear. You should see a button that says "Cancel Request" — it's usually grey or white with black text.

Click that button once. The button will change back to "Add Friend" within a second or two, which means your request has been cancelled. You don't need to confirm anything else or navigate to another page.

Where to find the cancel button on mobile

On the Facebook app or mobile website, open the person's profile by searching for them or tapping their name from a conversation or mutual friend's list. Scroll to the top of their profile where you see their name and profile picture.

Below their name, you'll see a row of buttons. One of them will say "Cancel Request" (or sometimes shows as a checkmark with text). Tap it once, and the button will change back to "Add Friend" within a moment. The cancellation is complete.

What happens after you cancel

Once you cancel a request, it's gone from the other person's friend requests list. They won't see a notification about it. If they check your profile, they'll see the "Add Friend" button again, but Facebook doesn't alert them to the change.

If you're worried about someone noticing you sent a request and then cancelled it, remember that most people don't check their pending friend requests regularly. Even if they do see the "Add Friend" button reappear, they have no way to know whether you cancelled it or never sent one in the first place.

If the cancel button doesn't appear

If you're looking at someone's profile and don't see a "Cancel Request" button, it usually means one of three things: you haven't actually sent them a request yet, the request was already accepted and you're now friends, or you're logged into a different account than the one you used to send the request.

Try refreshing the page or logging out and back in. If you're using the mobile app, close it completely and reopen it. If you're still not seeing the button after that, check that you're on the correct profile — search for the person's name again to make sure you have the right account.

Cancelling requests from people who sent them to you

If someone sent you a friend request and you want to decline it instead of accepting it, that's a different action. Go to your friend requests (on desktop, click the friend icon at the top, then "Friend Requests"; on mobile, tap the menu icon and select "Friends," then "Friend Requests"). Find the person's request and click "Decline" or the X button next to their name.

Declining a request removes it from your list. Like cancelling your own request, the other person won't get a notification that you declined them. You can still send them a request later, or they can send you another one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person know I cancelled my friend request?

No. Facebook does not send notifications when you cancel a request. The person will only know if they actively check their friend requests list and notice your request is no longer there, or if they visit your profile and see the "Add Friend" button again.

Can I cancel a request I sent months ago?

Yes. You can cancel a pending friend request at any time, no matter how long ago you sent it. There's no time limit on cancelling.

What's the difference between cancelling my request and declining theirs?

Cancelling is what you do when you sent the request and want to take it back. Declining is what you do when they sent the request to you and you don't want to accept it. Both actions remove the request, and neither sends a notification.

Can I send a new request after I cancel one?

Yes. Once you cancel a request, you can send a new one to the same person whenever you want. There's no waiting period or penalty.

What if I accidentally accepted a friend request instead of cancelling mine?

If you're now friends with someone and want to undo that, you can unfriend them. Go to their profile, click the "Friends" button, and select "Unfriend." They won't get a notification that you unfriended them, though they'll notice you're no longer on their friends list if they check.